Track rail grinding machine



Oct. 11,1938. w. HOB-SON Em 2,132,470

TRACK RAIL GRINDING MACHINE Filed ,Oct. 3, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y mm-wrms W/TA/ESS: v n a/z er/i ofisoiz is //o/wer flggoodrazo' Oct. 11,1938. w. HosoN' El AL TRACK RAIL GRINDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 5, 1936 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 11, 1938. w. HOBSON m- AL Y TRACK RAIL GRINDINGMACHINE Filed Oct. 5, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 H llllH M a/ er //0,5$orz gl omer H good/"0a;

W f -$022K Oct. 11, 1938. w. HOBSON ET AL TRACK RAIL GRINDING MACHINEFiled Oct. 3, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES2,132,470 TRACK RAIL GRINDING MACHINE Walter Hobson, Philadelphia, Pa.,and Homer H.

Woodrow, Milford, Del.

Application October 3, 1936, Serial No. 103,811

' 7 Claims.

One object of the present invention is to provide a track rail grindingmachine of the type in which there is a motor driven grinding wheel ofwhich the face confronts'the rail head, and in which there are providedsimple, reliable and eflicient means not only for adjusting the grindingface of the grinding wheel crosswise of the rail and for changing theinclination of the axis of the grinding wheel crosswise of the rail toshape the head of the rail as desired, but also for adjusting the faceof the grinding wheel upward and downward in respect to the head of therail. Another object of the invention is to provide for eificientlycushioning the thrust of the axis of the grinding wheel due toundulations in the head of 'the rails in the direction of their'lengths.An-

other object is to provide for mounting grinding units having thecharacteristics and capabilities indicated upon a railway car thattravels or is propelled along the track rails.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription at the end .of which the invention will be claimed.

Generally stated the invention comprises, for use with aftrack railgrinding machine mounted on a railway car and having motor drivengrinding wheels of which thefaces confront'the rail heads, units eachcomprising, upright yokes slidable in respect to each other, a motorframe pivoted in the inner yoke for tilting movement crosswise of thecar, and means for moving and adjusting the parts. I

The invention also comprises the improvements to be. presently describedand finally claimed.

In the following description reference will be made to the accompanyingdrawings forming part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a track railgrinding machineembodying features of the invention with a cover plate for the motorremoved.

Figure 2 is a top or plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view drawn to an en-' larged scale and partlyin section taken crosswise of the rails and showing a grinding uniteming a modification in which the grinding wheel is tilted constantly orintermittently.

Fig. 7 is a detail central sectional view of Fig- 6 drawn to a reducedscale with parts shown which are omitted from Fig.6 for the sake ofclearness.

Referring to the drawings and more particu larly to Figs. 1 to 4, Iindicates a railwaylcar shown as provided with a motor 2 having gearing3 by which it drives the traction wheels 4 of the car on the rails ofthetrack indicated at 6 indicates a .clutch for connecting anddisconnecting the motor and the driving wheel. 1 indicates handbrakemechanism arranged for operation on the carrying wheels 8 of thecar. Thedescribed construction maybe greatly modified 'andit is perhapsaccomplished by pretty'muoh any kind of a car adapted totravel slowlyalong the track of which the rail heads are to be ground or dressedparticularly for the removal of undulations ranging in the direction ofthe length of the rail. 9 are motor driven grinding wheels of which thework faces confront the rail heads.

The grinding units include those grinding wheels and will now bedescribed.

l0 and II are nested yokes or frames mounted on the car and of whichthe'inner one H2 is slidable in respect to the outer one I I. For thispurpose ways l3, Fig. 3, are provided. It is a motor frame carrying themotor and a grinding provided with a hand wheel 18 forturning it in a abearing in the cross piece or head IQ of the'yoke l0 and in thisbearingthe screw is held against endwise' motion. In the cross piece orhead'iil of the yoke ll there'is a chamber in which is mounted a spring2| of which the upper end bears on the head 20 and the lower end bearson the flange of a screw collar 22 mounted on the screw ll. There is asecond screw collar 23 mounted on the screw I1 and overlying the yoke20. for taking the upward thrust of the screw and parts which itcarries. The screw and parts carried by it can be adjusted vertically inrespect to the spring 2| by means of the collars 22 and 23, and afterthe adjustment is made the collars are held against turning and for thispurpose pins 24 are shown. There are adjusting means interposed betweenthe motor frame 14 and the This construction provides a spring cushioninner yoke II for tilting the motor frame crosswise of the rails. Thesemeans are shown to comprise an extension .25 on the motor frames. Onthis extension is mounted for freedom of limited turning and raising andfalling motion a nut 26, and a screw 21 is carried by the inner yoke Inin such a way that it can be turned but may not move endwise. This is ameans for rocking the motor. Between the extension 25 and the inner yokeII) there is a curved slot 32 and a clamping screw 29. This is a lockingdevice for said rocking means. Elements of the frame I of the car carryways 30 which range crosswise of the car. In these ways the feet 3I ofthe outer yoke II slide and the ways and feet serve to maintain theyokes in upright position. The feet 3| of the yoke II include a nut 32,and crosswise ranging screws 33 engage these nuts 32 and when turnedserve to shift the yokes crosswise of the car. The screws 33 are gearedtogether at one end by sprocket wheels and a sprocket chain 34, Fig. l,and one of the screws 33 may be turned by a pawl and ratchet and lever35.

In use the grinding wheel 9 may be vertically adjusted properly withrespect to the rail by manipulation of the hand wheel IS. The upwardthrust on the face of the grinding wheel 9 by lengthwise undulations inthe rails is cushioned by the spring combination It. It may be remarkedthat with the use of a relief spring 18 there is a preloading of thegrinder unit over and above the dead weight pressure of the partspressing the grinding wheel to the rail. This preloading results in theremoval of the wave crests that occur in longitudinal direction in usedrails, and in the valleys of the wave the pressure of the springlessens, so that a straight level profile is produced. It will, ofcourse,'be understood that the car travels slowly along the rails andthat these lengthwise undulations are dressed or ground. It is sometimesdesired to dress the upper face of the head of the rail at a slightinclination to the Web of the rail. This is indicated in Fig. 3. Toaccomplish this the motor frame i4 is tilted as desired by adjustment ofthe screw M. It may be remarked that the grinder 9 may be tilted todress the head of the rail as may be desired. To position the grindingwheel 9 when tilted properly over the rail the pawl and ratchet lever 35and its connections are operated and they move the yokes and partscarried thereby crosswise of the car. Thus the grinding wheel may beproperly positioned vertically over the rail head. It may be remarkedthat since both frames or yokes Ill and II are always in upright orvertical position and are mounted against rocking movement, and sincethe motor frame is centrally pivoted to, or otherwise adapted for rotarymovement in respect to, the inner frame, it follows that the movement ofthe grinding unit as a whole is always in a vertical line no matter atwhat angle the axis of the grinding wheel may have been set in respectto that line.

The construction and mode of operation of the modification shown in Fig.5, are as above described, except that the combination spring mechanismI6 is transferred to the head or cross piece I9, of the inner yoke IE3,and the element Il is moved up and down endwise by a power cylinder andpiston 36 carried by the head 2% of the yoke I I.

The construction and mode of operation of the modification shown inFigs. 6 and '7 are as above described except as follows:

The yoke II is immovably fastened to the ele ment I, Fig. 7. The motorframe I4, is not turnnecting rod 45 is connected to the stud 44.

able about a fixed pivot I5 as shown in Fig. 4 but is connected forturning movement with the inner sliding yoke. The motor frame I4, ormore accurately an extension25' thereof carries a train of intermeshingduplicate gear wheels 31, 38, and 39, Fig. 6, and the gear wheels 3'!and 39 carry pinions 40 and M. The pinions 4B and 4| run on curved racks42 and 43 struck from a common center indicated at b, and fixed to theyoke II and therefore held stationary. The toothed wheel 38 is turnablein respect to a stud 44 mounted on the extension 25 and one end of thecon- The other end of the connecting rod is connected to a clampablepivot pin 45 mounted in a radial slot 46, in a power driven disc 41revolvable about an axis fixed in the frame I. There are two suchmechanisms one at each leg of the yoke I I. It may be remarked that Fig.6 is a view looking towards the right in Fig. 7 with all the stationaryparts to the left of the racks 42 and 43 removed.

Assuming that the disc 41 is in rotation the connecting rod shifts themotor frame I4 and extension 25' back and forth from left to right andright to left in Fig. 6, and the pinions 4D and t! ride on the fixedcurved or arcuate racks 42 and 43, thus the axis of the grinding wheel 9indicated by dash and dot lines occupies the positions of those linesand the face of the grinding wheel 9 is effective in the curved dash anddot line aa dressing the head of the rail 5 to a symmetrical curvedsurface. The throw of the connecting rod 45 and therefore the amplitudeof oscillation of the axis of the grinding wheel can be adjusted byvariously positioning the clampable pin i5 in the slot 46. The mechanismlast described is a means for rocking the motor. If desired the axis ofthe grinding wheel can be held stationary in vertical or inclinedposition by turning the disc 41 appropriately and then holding it atrest. The construction last described is a locking device or clamp forsaid rocking means.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates that modifications may be made in details of construction andarrangement'and in matters of mere form hence the invention is notlimited otherwise than the prior art and the appended claims mayrequire.

We claim:

1. In a track rail grinding machine mounted on a railway car and havingmotor driven grinding wheels of which the faces confront the rail heads,units each comprising, in combination, upright yokes slidable in respectto each other for vertical movement only and mounted on the car formovement crosswise of the car, a motor frame pivoted to the inner yokefor tilting movement crosswise of the car, the axis of the grindingwheel intersecting the axis of the pivot of the motor frame and meansfor moving and adjusting said parts.

2. In a track rail grinding machine mounted on a railway car and havingmotor driven grinding wheels of which the faces confront the rail heads,units each comprising, in combination, upright yokes vertically slidablein respect to each other, supports for attaching said yokes to said carso that said yokes are movable crosswise of the car, a motor framepivoted to the inner yoke for tilting movement crosswise of the car, andnut and screw means for moving and adjusting said parts.

3. For .a track rail grinding machine mounted on a railway car andhaving motor driven grinding wheels of which the faces confront the railheads, units each comprising, in combination, upright yokes slidable inrespect to each other and mounted for movement crosswise of the car,means for sliding the inner yoke, a motor frame pivoted to the inneryoke for tilting movement crosswise of the car, an extension on themotor frame, a screw carried by the inner yoke, a nut rockably andmovably carried by the extension and engaging the screw and a curvedslot and clamping screw provided between the inner yoke and theextension.

4. For a track rail grinding machine mounted on a railway car and havingmotor driven grinding wheels of which the faces confront the rail heads,units each comprising, in combination, upright yokes slidable in respectto each other and mounted for movement crosswise of the car, means forsliding one of said yokes, a motor frame pivoted to the inner yoke fortilting movement crosswise of the car, ways ranging crosswise of the carand carried by the frame thereof, feet on the outer yoke slidable insaid ways, nut and screw means for shifting the feet in the ways, andmeans for synchronizing the operation of said nut and screw meansincluding a pawl and ratchet hand lever and a sprocket chain andsprocket wheels.

5. For a track rail grinding machine mounted on a railway car and havingmotor driven grinding wheels of which the work faces confront the railheads, units each comprising, in combination, upright nested yokesmounted on the car and of which the inner one is slidable in respect tothe outer one and of which the outer one is provided with feet, meansfor sliding the inner yoke, a motor frame carrying the motor and one ofsaid grinding wheels and pivoted to the inner yoke for tilting crosswiseof the car, a spring pressed screw and nut interposed between the yokesfor cushioning the motor frame vertically, adjusting means interposedbetween the motor frame and the inner yoke for tilting the motor frame,and ways positioned crosswise of the car and in which the feet of theouter yoke are slidable to move the motor frame crosswise of the car.

6. In a track rail grinding machine mounted on a railway car and. havingmotor driven grin-ding wheels of which the faces confront the railheads, units each comprising, in combination, upright frames slidable inrespect to each other and each held vertically against rocking motion,means for sliding the inner frame, a motor frame connected for turningmovement to the inner frame, and means for rocking the motor frame inrespect to the inner frame.

7; In a track rail grinding machine mounted on a railway car and havingmotor driven grinding wheels of which the faces confront the rail heads,units each comprising, in combination, upright yokes slidable in respectto each other, a motor frame carried by the inner yoke, a rod elementinterposed between the heads of the yokes, a compression spring for theelement, and means for moving the element in respect to the yokes.

HOMER H. WOODROW. WALTER HOBSON.

